The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments has joined with teams of experts from three other prominent think-tanks— AEI, CNAS, and CSIS—to offer alternatives to the QDR and budget the Pentagon will soon submit to Congress.
Each think tank team was asked to develop its own strategy to rebalance DoD’s major capabilities in light of projected security challenges and likely budget constraints. Using CSBA’s strategic choices tool and methodology, the teams were able to choose from over 700 pre-costed options to add or cut from the projected defense program over the next two Future Years Defense Programs (FY15-19 and FY20-24) at two different levels of budget reductions. The first fiscal scenario follows the Budget Control Act (BCA) budget caps (as modified by the Ryan-Murray agreement). The second scenario allows the teams to “buy back” capabilities assuming a more optimistic funding line roughly half-way between the Fiscal Year 2014 President’s Budget baseline and full BCA level cuts in scenario #1.
On February 5, 2014, all four teams presented their alternative strategies, capability priorities, and budget decisions.
Team Presentations
CNAS Slides (PDF)
CSBA Slides (PDF)
CSIS Slides (PDF)
AEI Slides (PDF)